India’s top stockbroking platforms — Zerodha, Groww, Angel One and Upstox — have received approval to enable international and US stock investing through GIFT City, according to a report by Moneycontrol.
The services are expected to go live in the next two to three months, after companies complete technology integration, testing and regulatory compliance processes, the news report said.
Last week, Raise Securities, which operates investment platform Dhan, also introduced access to US stocks.
In August last year, GIFT City introduced the Global Access Provider (GAP) framework to create a lower-cost and regulated route for Indians to invest internationally. One feature of the framework is zero withdrawal charges when bringing funds back to India.
How international investing will work
To provide access to foreign markets, Zerodha and Upstox are expected to route transactions through overseas clearing and execution partners such as ViewTrade International, Interactive Brokers and Alpaca Securities, the news report said. At present, ViewTrade has received GAP approval, while products linked to Interactive Brokers and Alpaca may take additional time to launch.
These firms, the news report said, have already established partnerships with major US brokerage platforms, including Charles Schwab and Robinhood, which can support access to international equities.
Brokers operating under the GAP model are also expected to partner with US brokerage firms to enable cross-border investing.
Growing interest in overseas markets
International investing is already available through platforms such as smallcase, INDmoney and HDFC Securities, which have reported strong growth in investor participation in recent years.
Demand has accelerated as investors seek exposure to themes that are less represented in Indian markets, including AI, semiconductors, electric vehicles and space technology.
Global markets, particularly in the US, South Korea and Taiwan, have gained from these trends, while Indian benchmark indices have moved more gradually.
Interest has also been supported by rupee depreciation, a pipeline of high-profile public offerings and strong returns from US technology-focused indices over the past year, the news report said.
